Anesthesia and surgery can cause temporary or permanent brain damage. Surgical complications can be caused by free radicals that occur during anesthesia or during the surgical process itself.
Some of the mechanisms of neurologic injury caused by anesthesia and surgical procedures have been identified in the scientific literature. There are nutrients and drugs that can be taken ahead of time that may help prevent these problems.
For example, during open-heart surgery, free radicals have been identified as a primary culprit in preventing the reestablishment of a regular heart rhythm, and in causing the common complication of pancreatitis.
A study was conducted on 30 patients undergoing vascular surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm or obstructive aortoiliac disease. Patients in group one were treated with coenzyme Q10 (150 mg a day) for seven days before the operation. Those in group two received a placebo. The results showed that markers of free radical activity and tissue damage (i.e. malondialdehyde, conjugated dienes, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) were significantly lower in patients who received coenzyme Q10 than in the placebo group. A decrease of plasma malondialdehyde correlated positively with a decrease in both creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. The doctors concluded that pre-treatment with coenzyme Q10 may play a protective role during routine vascular procedures by attenuating the degree of peroxidative free radical damage.
Some forms of anesthesia administered during surgical procedures that can cause temporary reduced blood flow may lead to significant free radical damage to cells. A study was performed to assess the administration of Vitamin-E during severe anesthesia. The administration of Vitamin-E produced a statistically significant decrease in the content of peroxidation products in the blood.
A growing body of evidence supports the role of free radicals in delayed functional and metabolic myocardial recovery following cardiopulmonary bypass in humans. A clinical study was designed to evaluate the extent that ginkgo extract could inhibit reperfusion-induced lipid peroxidation, ascorbate depletion, tissue necrosis and cardiac dysfunction. Patients received either ginkgo extract (320 mg a day) or a matching placebo before surgical intervention. Plasma samples were obtained up to eight days post-operatively, from the peripheral circulation and the coronary sinus, at crucial stages of the operation (i.e., before incision, during ischemia, and within the first 30 minutes after unclamping). Upon aortic unclamping, ginkgo extract inhibited the formation of free radicals, significantly reduced the delayed leakage of myoglobin, preserved the ascorbic acid pool, and had an almost significant effect on ventricular myosin leakage. The surgeons concluded that these results demonstrate the usefulness of adjuvant (assisting) ginkgo extract therapy in limiting oxidative stress in cardiovascular surgery. They discussed the possible role of highly bioavailable terpene constituents of the drug.
Other nutritional substances that may be of use include the aminio acid acetyl-L-carnitine.
You may consider taking melatonin every night for one week before your surgery. Melathion is a "sleep" hormone and antioxidant. An additional dose of 10 mg might also be taken just before anesthesia is administered to provide further protection against anesthesia and surgery-induced complications. Research has shown that melatonin given prior to anesthesia protects cells throughout an animal's body (but especially in the brain) against ischemic injury caused by lack of blood flow.
Some surgeons ask their pre-surgical patients to avoid aspirin and nutrients that may promote excessive bleeding during surgery. Ginkgo biloba and some other nutrients including Vitamin-E, can inhibit abnormal blood clotting and may cause excessive bleeding during and after surgery. For some surgical procedures, excessive bleeding can be a problem, but experienced surgeons should be able to deal with this.
On the other hand, a significant risk factor during and after surgical procedures and long hospital stays is the development of abnormal blood clots inside blood vessels that can cause a stroke, heart attack or a lethal pulmonary embolism.
Published studies have shown that when open-heart surgery patients take antioxidants before surgery, fewer complications develop. There are contradictions in the scientific literature as to whether or not Vitamin-E and other antioxidants cause enough excessive bleeding to create a problem. But when you consider the neurologic benefits, the protection against free radicals and abnormal blood-clot formation, and the overall health benefits these nutrients provide, you (and your physician) may choose to include these nutrients as part of your pre-surgery preparations.
